Drive to the Airport: Creative Writing by Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai

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When I was younger, he visited often; I saw him often. But now health conditions keep him on the other side of the world, where he needs to get dialysis three times a week. His dialysis keeps him alive, but it also keeps him from us. Now, I only see him once a year. A taxi inevitably draws nearer and nearer then slows to a stop. The taxi driver gets out and my dad helps him pile the luggage into the trunk while I stand there awkwardly, a stone stuck in my throat. The last suitcase is hauled…

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The Inevitable Goodbye: Fiction by Charis Chu

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2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prize - Finalist, High School Category Remember when you traced your fingers down my spine? The touch was feather-light and I was embarrassed by the rotten violence of my craving, you cradled me that night like I was a baby. We’d kicked the blankets to the floor—Taipei is too humid and the fan wasn’t working—but you refused me their luxury even as I sweltered. I would say that you preferred me vulnerable, but that would be petulant and untrue:…

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Wǒ De: Fiction by Alice Kuok

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2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prize – Grand Prize Winner, Middle Grade Category From the judges: “‘Wo de’ is a story about two school boys in Taiwan and their growing friendship. It is observant, subtle and evocative, full of sensory detail that make the world feel rich and alive. For a young writer, this story is remarkable for its tone and sense of longing and nostalgia. We look forward to hearing more from this impressive young voice.” There was nothing left to…

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Jaded Girls: Fiction by Davina Jou

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2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prize – Grand Prize Winner, High School Category From the judges: "‘Jaded Girls’ is a ghost story which deftly weaves past and present together to tell a compact, complete narrative that also hints at more. There is much to admire in its originality and moments of humor and surprise. A polished piece of writing.” Vivian’s wedding ring was featherlight against her wet skin—the cheapest thing at the market near where a ghost clawed her…

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Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken: Creative Nonfiction by Kelly Chu

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2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prize – Grand Prize Winner, College Category From the judges: “Playful and poignant, this submission infuses simple family recipes with deep emotional resonance. A bold and original take on themes of food, family, and inheritance.” Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken  Ingredients:  2 lbs of boneless childhood (preferably thigh meat, for tenderness)  1 cup of cultural ambiguity (1 part Taiwanese brown sugar, 1 part American corn syrup)…

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Charles Yu, Grace Loh Prasad, Alvina Ling select 2025 Creative Writing Prize Winners

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We are thrilled to announce the 2025 cohort of honorable mentions, finalists, and grand prize winners of the Betty L. Yu & Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, established in partnership with TaiwaneseAmerican.org in honor of Charles Yu’s parents, longstanding leaders in the Taiwanese American community. Now in its fourth year, the prize continues to grow in reach and resonance, with writer Grace Loh Prasad joining the judging panel this year alongside returning judges Charles Yu and Alvina…

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How Far We Stray: Fiction by Angelica Lai

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2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prize - Grand Prize Winner, Adult Category From the judges: “Combining vivid physical descriptions with nostalgic reflections, this tale of an adult daughter returning to her deceased mother’s homeland is simultaneously tender and unsentimental. Intelligent and polished… a clear standout.” I sit by my mother’s death bed and read about caecilians, worm-like creatures that survive by tearing off their mothers’ milky blue skin. The mother…

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Change in Atmosphere: Creative Non-Fiction by Evelyn Wu

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  It was someone else dressed in this striped red uniform, someone else who slung the same red backpack everyone was required to use on her shoulder, hiding the real reason she was trembling by the weight of the backpack. It wasn’t me who smiled a watery smile with a pounding heart, social anxiety kicking in stronger than before. It was my first day of sixth grade, back to school after abruptly leaving my 5th grade class back in America. When Covid hit, I refused the masks and social…

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Now accepting submissions: 2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, in Celebration of Taiwanese American student and adult writers

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to announce the 2025 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes. Created in 2021 in collaboration with Taiwanese American author Charles Yu, the Prizes are intended to encourage and recognize creative literary work by Taiwanese American students, and to foster discussion and community around such work. In 2022, the prize expanded to include a separate middle school category for 6th-8th grade applicants, judged by Alvina Ling. In 2023, we added an additional…

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Rude: Creative Nonfiction by Colette Chang

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The mallard duck is everywhere. It is the ancestor of all duck species. Although their mating season is not until spring, mallard ducks form relationships much earlier, courting in the winter, and eventually laying eggs in the summer. When ducklings are first born, they are all the same yellow-bellied babies. They live harmoniously as adolescents in their separate spheres. For the first months of their lives, mallard ducklings waddle as a clutch behind their mother. As equals.  At ten months,…

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